Ernest E. Panciera

NEW BEDFORD — Ernest E. (Boat) Panciera, 84, of Fairhaven, MA, died on February 5, 2014.

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Posted Feb. 9, 2014 at 12:01 AM

Posted Feb. 9, 2014 at 12:01 AM

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NEW BEDFORD — Ernest E. (Boat) Panciera, 84, of Fairhaven, MA, died on February 5, 2014.

He was born in New London, CT, the son of Ernest P. Panciera of Forno di Zoldo, Italy, and Lena (Panciera) Panciera of Westerly, RI. Ernie grew up in Westerly on the family's Tum-A-Lum Dairy Farm and attended local schools and the U.S. Maritime Service Training Station at Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, NY. As a youth he worked on the farm; as a pin setter at the local duckpin bowling alley; and as skate boy at the Rollerdrome Skating Rink in Westerly, where he met his future wife and the mother of his children, Marjorie Banker-Hindle, who died in February 2009.

As a young adult Ernie worked as a woodcutter and sawmill operator; as a dairyman and chicken farmer on the family's Ocean Breeze Farm in Westerly; and as a heavy equipment operator for Donald Jeffrey Construction and James Romanella & Sons Contractors. Ernie was always a hard worker and was known to say he was born with a pitchfork in his hand.

In 1967 Ernie bought a lobster boat and then a fishing dragger to follow his love of the sea and fish out of Stonington, CT. He soon moved to MA as a commercial fisherman to sign on as ship's engineer and then captain on boats sailing out of New Bedford and Fairhaven for over 35 years. When Georges Bank winters began to feel rough, he went ashore and worked as a night watchman at Fairhaven Shipyard till he was nearly 80. He was a member of the International Union of Operating Engineers and the New Bedford Fishermen's Union.

Ernie is survived by his children: Linda, Paul, and Peter Panciera, all of Stonington; George Panciera of Ledyard, CT; and Jeanne Panciera and her husband, Bob Tellier, of Port Orchard, WA. He is also survived by his former daughter-in-law, Amelia Panciera, of Stonington.

In accordance with Ernie's wishes, no service is planned. His family will return him to sea when the weather calms.

The family extends thanks to the staff at Bedford Village Nursing Home for Ernie's kind care.